The present invention relates to fishing lures and, in particular, to a banding collar for multi-stranded, elastomer skirts having filaments that radiate from the collar and support a number of rattles.
A dressing commonly mounted to fishing lures, for example, jigs, spinner baits and/or buzz baits, is a multi-stranded skirt. The skirts are typically fabricated from sheets of an elastomer material, such as natural rubber or silicone rubber. A sheet is partitioned into a number of regions that are processed into individual skirts. Each skirt is defined by a multiplicity of slits that form strands. The strands are attached between solid bands that border the ends of the strands. The skirts are cut from the sheets with the borders attached. The strands are contained by the borders, until the strands are bound together. A rubber band typically secures the strands together.
The rubber band is also used to attach the bound skirt to an appendage of a fishing lure. One or more skirts having the same or different colors and or surface treatments can be attached to a lure. As the lure is retrieved, the strands or filaments undulate with movement of the lure through water to entice a fish to strike.
Examples of banded skirts can be found at U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,640,041 and 5,251,395.
Examples of another skirt style or "rollup" skirt are shown at U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,517,782 and 5,709,047. Rollup skirts are formed by rolling and bonding the border of a skirt to a tubular, elastomer core piece with an appropriate adhesive. The cut ends of the strands trail from the core piece. A bore in the core piece stretches and mounts to the lure.
The core of the U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,047 patent also includes ears or projections that support small rattles. The sound produced by the rattles enhances the fish attracting qualities of the skirt. The close fitting ears, however, limit the freedom of motion of the rattles and thereby the produced sound.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,426,886 and 5,524,378 disclose jig type lures that include rattles that are mounted to filaments that trail from the lure. The rattles of the U.S. Pat. No. 5,426,886 patent provide a stem that supports a sound chamber and bead. The stem mounts beneath the band of a typical skirt. With protracted use, the stem and rattles can be dislodged from the band. The rattles of the U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,378 patent provide similar rattles, however, the flexible arms are permanently molded into the head of the lure and can break off with normal use.
To overcome the latter deficiencies, the present invention provides an improved banding collar for a banded skirt and an improved core piece for a rollup skirt that are outfitted with one or more straps that accept detachable rattles. The rattles mount to holders and/or bored hubs that are along the straps. Curlicue tailpieces can be separately attached to the rattles or to individual strands of an associated multi-stranded skirt. The number and shape of the straps can be varied and multiple bored hubs can be formed into the straps.